Black Holes and Revelations
by Druid Sorceress
Summary: He is the Prince from Orchidia, a planet from the Negaverse. Long ago, his heart was captured by a certain Princess from Venus before he was imprisoned by Queen Beryl. A thousand years have passed and he sets out to find his long lost love. Will he?
1. Prince Alexite of Orchidia

_Author's Note:__ Please be gentle, reviewers. This is my first Sailor Moon __fanfic__ and I hope to make it entertaining for you! I know it's not centered __around__ Serena but I feel that Sailor Venus deserves a story about her and a long lost love.__ Enjoy!_

_DISCLAIMER:__ Sailor Moon is the property of __Naoko Takeuchi. I do not own any of the characters or anything else regarding Sailor Moon!_

_**'Corrupt...you corrupt & bring corruption to all that you touch. Hold...you'll behold and beholden for all that you've done. Spell...cast a spell...cast a spell on the country you run...And risk...you will risk...you will risk all their lives and their souls...And burn...you will burn...you will burn in hell...you burn in hell for your sins. Oh, our freedom's consuming itself...what we've become is contrary to what we want...Take a bow'**_

_ "Take a Bow" by Muse (Property of Warner Music Canada)_

He could read the stars as well as his commanding general and mentor Nephlite. He could use his readings to see all that surrounded him and predict what would happen in the future. He was prince of the planet of Orchidia, located deep in the Negaverse. It wasn't always a dark, evil planet, but they were eventually discovered and annexed by the main Negaverse military and were forced to succumb to every request and whim of the new Queen.

His name was Alexite, once a proud soldier of the Negaverse until the evil Queen Beryl encased him in her seal of darkness for treachery. He spent a thousand years, lying in wait, nearly powerless, all because of a certain blonde haired princess.

Of course, he wasn't thinking of Princess Serena of the moon…he was thinking of Princess Mina of Venus…the golden haired goddess of love that he fell in love with as soon as he laid eyes on her. He had been invited to the grand ball of New Moon at the Moon Kingdom by Queen Serenity, as the Prince of his home planet. Unbeknownst to the radiant kingdom, his visit was part of an ulterior motive, courtesy of Queen Beryl. As he was introduced to the other guests, his eyes fell on the blonde beauty and from then on, he was bewitched.

He had been dazzled by her aquamarine eyes and waves of shimmering golden hair when Queen Serenity introduced them to each other and vowed to get closer to her, no matter what the cost. He knew it was dangerous to have any friendly liaison with those from the Moon Kingdom, as they were supposed to be the enemy. This meant a very brutal punishment as a consequence, but Alexite didn't care…he just wanted to be close to her. They danced and got to know one another throughout the whole ball, making themselves a striking pair.

Even after the celebrations were over, Prince Alexia and Princess Mina were often seen together and met in secret as well. They spent many private moments enjoying each other's company and making love in the gardens of the Moon Palace. He grew to love Princess Mina in a shockingly short time and was close to professing his love for her when he was summoned back to Queen Beryl's court. He remembered the events that occurred the day he left for home:

_They stood in the courtyard of the Moon palace, hand in hand. He had sent a message to Mina's guardian __youma__, telling Mina he wished to meet with her right away and she came as fast as she could._

_'Alexite' Mina said__ her hands clasping that of her lover's 'Is something wrong?'_

_'I must go back to Orchidia immediately' Alexite said, trying desperately to hide the panic in his ocean blue eyes 'There are pressing matters that I have to take care of immediately'_

_'Must you go now?' she asked, her aquamarine eyes glittering with tears 'It seems like we just met'_

_'I have to leave right now' he said, wiping the crystalline tears away with his thumbs as he cradled her face 'I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to you or without professing my love for you. I love you even more than life itself, Mi__na.'_

_'I love you too, Alexite' Mina said, as he pulled her into a tight embrace 'Will I see you again in the future?'_

_'Yes, my love' he said, kissing her forehead before taking something out of a pocket in his uniform 'I also want to give you something to remember me by'_

_With that, he produced a white gold ring…one with a yellow topaz surrounded by diamonds._

_'Mina, Princess of Venus and of love and beauty…will you be my Queen?' he asked, going down on bended knee 'Marry me when I return'_

_'Of course I will marry you' Mina said, beaming as he slipped the ring on her finger 'I will wait for your return Alexite'_

_They kissed and embraced a final time before he sent her away, a smile on his otherwise serious face._

When he returned to Queen Beryl's court, he was apprehended by two guardian soldiers and was forced to be in audience with Beryl herself.

_'You were specifically told to go there to find the Kingdom's weakest spots' Beryl said, her__ anger rising as she moved her hands about her crystal ball 'Not to fraternize with the enemy'_

_Alexite stood there restrained, realizing who the enemy really was. He held his chin high, prepared to fight in the name of love and also to fight for Mina._

_'You know not who the real enemy is' Alexite said angrily, glaring at the evil queen of the Negaverse 'Taking over kingdoms and bringing death and destruction to all those who stand in your way in the quest for energy. It is you, Queen Beryl who is the real enemy'_

_'SILENCE' Queen Beryl thundered pointing a bony accusatory finger at him 'You speak treachery. For this, I will banish you into __Nega__-coma for all eternity!'_

_Alexite suddenly found himself in a darkened area filled with mist. It resembled a cave-like prison. It suddenly dawned on him that he was locked into one of the many dungeons, dead to the rest of the universe…_

**1000 years later**

Alexite awoke with a sudden start. The cold misty illusion that he was accustomed to was fading away as he slowly stood up. He could feel the power barrier fading away and his power once again flowing through his veins.

He suddenly found himself in the darkened recesses of what used to be Queen Beryl's court, amazed at the lack of life and the absence of the evil queen.

"What is going on?" he wondered aloud, walking around the empty throne room "How was I set free?"

Running a hand through his dark chestnut brown hair, Alexite confusedly walked around. He had no idea what was going on…or what had happened to set him free.

"Prince Alexite" a familiar voice rang out behind him.

"General Nephlite" Alexite exclaimed, turning around "Is it you?"

"Yes" Nephlite said, standing in spirit form and bowing "I am glad you are alright and untouched by Beryl's cruelty"

"What has happened?" Alexite demanded, as Zoicite, Jadeite and Malecite appeared, all bowing to him "Why am I here?"

"Queen Beryl has been defeated, my Lord" Nephlite said, kneeling before him "We have all been released from her spell. We are all free"

"But why are you in spirit?" Alexite frowned, rubbing the back of his neck in confusion "What has happened?"

"Beryl has us in her Nega-Coma" Malecite explained, tossing his long mane of silvery white hair behind his shoulders with a single shake of his head "But she has been defeated by the Sailor Scouts so you were set free. We need you to use your powers to free us"

Alexite waved his hand, restoring all of the Generals in their physical forms. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"How much time has passed?" he demanded, pacing back and forth in front of them "And what of the Moon Kingdom?"

"The Moon Kingdom was long since destroyed soon after your confinement, your highness" Zoicite said, kneeling next to her Malecite "Queen Beryl led the assault. I found this among the rubble."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the ring he had given Mina before he departed.

"Mina" Alexite gasped in horror as he took the ring "She was still at the kingdom…My god, she perished"

With that, he broke down into sobs, leaning against a pillar as he covered his eyes.

"All because of me" he wept, "We were to be married"

"All is not lost" Jadeite said, reaching out to touch Alexite's shoulder "Queen Serenity used the power of the Imperium Silver Crystal to send everyone to be reborn on Earth in the future. Mina may very well still be alive."

This caused Alexite to stand up straight, his blue eyes full of hope.

"Then" he said with conviction "I will go to Earth and find her…and what of Orchidia?"

"Orchidia was destroyed as well by Beryl after she learned of your romance with Princess Mina" Malecite said, wincing "You and Nephlite are the only surviving Orchidians in the universe"

"Come" Alexite commanded, standing strong and proud "Let us go to Earth"

Nephlite smiled, remembering the beautiful Molly. He looked forward to seeing her again. He had much to do with her and much to say to her.

"I'm in" he said, nodding towards the other generals, who also nodded…


	2. The New Visitors

_Author's Note:__ I hope the last chapter explained the history between Alexite and Mina a fair bit. Fear not, there will be more to come on that part. Enjoy!_

_DISCLAIMER__Sailor Moon is the property of __Naoko Takeuchi__. I do not own the characters._

The Sailor Scouts were enjoying a night off, walking along the lit streets of Tokyo without the guardian cats, Luna and Artemis. It was the perfect end to the perfect day.

"Oh guys" Serena Tsukino said dreamily as she put an around Rei Hino and Lita Kino "This has been the absolute perfect day. I know how we should top this off"

"How?" Rei groaned, already knowing the answer the delighted Moon Princess was about to give.

"Milkshakes at the Crown!" Lita exclaimed, giggling as Serena mock-glared at her.

"Stealing my thunder, Lita?" Serena demanded, giving her a look.

"Hey thunder is my element!" Lita said, sticking her tongue out at Serena "You should know that"

The five girls walked to the Crown Fruit Parlor, their usual hangout.

Andrew, the son of the Parlor's owners greeted them as they all stepped inside. He wore his usual apron and white shirt on top of tan khakis.

"Hey guys" he greeted them with his usual smile "Milkshakes tonight?"

"Yes please" Serena said, flashing the handsome blonde man a smile "Our usual"

"Coming up" Andrew said, with a wink in Serena's direction "I'll bring them out to your usual table"

The five girls all walked to a table near the window and sat down.

"It is really a nice night" Mina Aino said, gazing up at the sky through the window. "The moon is high and full and the stars are all out"

The rest of the girls looked, all breathing a sigh of awe at the darkened beauty of the sky.

"According to my research" Amy Mizuno said, taking out her mini-Mercury computer "We are due for a Lunar eclipse tomorrow night"

"Amazing" Rei said, staring at the sky "Doesn't it ever make you miss what we had when we lived in the Moon Kingdom?"

"Sometimes" Mina replied dreamily "It sucks that our memories are only in our dreams. I wish I knew more about my past"

"We all do" Amy said, as Andrew arrived with their milkshakes "There's so much I'd like to know about myself and----"

Amy was interrupted by a loud rumbling noise and a flash of yellow light from outside. The ground started to shake.

"What's going on?" Serena wailed as everyone ducked under the table, Andrew included. "Is it an earthquake?"

"Stay calm, girls" Andrew shouted over the rumbling noises "We should be safe"

"Do you smell something burning?" Lita demanded, as the ground soon stabilized and stopped shaking "I think it was an earthquake"

Everyone rushed outside to the sounds of sirens approaching the area.

"Look over there!" Rei gasped, pointing to a crowd gathering near the Cherry Hill Temple "Grandpa!"

The five girls ran towards the temple and were met by a huge crater in the street.

"GRANDPA!" Rei shouted as she stopped short of the crater. Walking around it, she rushed to the temple to check on her grandfather.

"What's going on?" Serena demanded, gazing at the crater "Am I sensing déjà vu? This happened already"

"Albeit a different spot" Amy said as they went after Rei "But this is definitely weird"

"Guys!" Rei shouted, running down the steps "Grandpa's okay. What's going on?"

"We think it's the Negaverse again" Serena shouted back, returning to the crater.

"We need to talk to Luna and Artemis" Mina said, looking down at the crater "Do you think it's the latest Nega-Creep we're trying to dust?"

"Possibly" Serena said, moving away from the crater "Let's go find Luna!"…

… It was only a matter of moments before Alexite and his four guardians appeared in Tokyo. As Nephlite had done before recently, he made the same mansion appear from a distance.

"Feels good to be back here" Nephlite said, walking around the drawing room "It was easy to communicate with the stars here"

"Excellent" Alexite said, exploring the place "I will begin my search tomorrow. I will create a new identity and find my beloved Mina"

"And I will find Molly" Nephlite said, ignoring the snickers from Zoicite "There's so much I have to do with her. I can't believe I was given a second chance"

"None of us could help it" Alexite said, sitting regally in a chair "Queen Beryl's promises were all lies. She also destroyed our home planet and used her power to enslave us"

"I'm glad we all have our lives back" Jadeite said, staring out the window at Tokyo "We can all start anew and turn our lives for the better"

"Please excuse me" Alexite said, standing up "I would like to be alone to communicate with the stars"

"Yes, your highness" The four generals chorused, bowing before leaving him alone in the room.

"Excellent" Alexite purred, closing his eyes to concentrate "The stars know everything…"

The room disappeared as Alexite stood in an illusion of the solar system. The planets revolved and the stars shone as he concentrated.

"Show me where my beloved Mina is" he said, concentrating further "I call upon the planet of Venus to tell me"

A beam of light shot out, touching his forehead as an image of Mina appeared in his subconscious. Alexite's eyes then shot open.

"Excellent" he said, smiling "She is right here in Tokyo. All I have to do is find her…it seems she desires to be a famous star. I can make that happen for her"…

… Mina tossed and turned in bed, having yet another dream from her days in the Moon Kingdom. For the past little while, she had dreams of him. She had no idea of who he was or what he looked like.

_She found herself standing in the gardens of the Moon Palace with a man she had never seen before. His face was partially obscured by shadow as he knelt down and slipped the ring on her finger._

_'__Mina, Princess of Venus and of love and beauty…will you be my Queen?__' __he asked her "Marry me when I return'_

_'Of course I will marry you' Mina said, beaming as he slipped the ring on her finger 'I will wait for your return Alexite'_

Mina awoke with a start, breathing hard. In the process, she made a sleeping Artemis have an untimely meeting with her bedroom floor.

"Mina, are you all right?" Artemis groaned, slowly climbing back onto her bed "You gave me quite a scare"

"I had another dream, Artemis" she said, falling back against her pillows "Another dream about him"

"Mina, could this be another repressed memory from the Moon Kingdom?" Artemis asked, curling up against his mistress "We could always get Luna to do the Luna Mind Meld for you if you wish to know who this mysterious man is"

"And nobody has any recollection of me being with this mysterious man" Mina said, petting Artemis "I wonder what the reason could be"

"I don't know" Artemis said, between purrs "But we're all in this together. We will all discover everything about out collective past in due time. For now, we will live our lives one day at a time"

"I suppose you're right" Mina sighed, gazing out at the night sky "I know the answers are out there somewhere"…


	3. Auditions

_Author's Note:__ Could it be that Mina is remembering something she lost a long time ago? Will they reunite?_

_DISCLAIMER:__ Sailor Moon is the property of __Naoko Takeuchi. I do not own the characters._

Alexite stood in the drawing room the next morning, patiently waiting for the announcement on the news he had created to have auditions take place. He had taken on the name of Alexei Orumov, famed talent agent and hockey prodigy. It was an easy enough matter to manipulate the media to make it seem like he had existed for a long time. All he needed was Mina coming to him.

"Soon, my love" he breathed, staring out at the rising sun as it shone through the semi-darkened Tokyo sky "Soon we will be together again"…

… Mina and Artemis were walking by an electronics store later on that morning as she headed for her classes at Tokyo University when the announcement hit.

"Attention young women of Tokyo" the news anchorman said excitedly "Famed talent agent Alexei Orumov has announced he will hold auditions to be the next Tokyo Idol. If you can dance, sing, or act, come down to Yokoyama studios at 5:00 tonight for your chance at fame!"

"Look at that, Mina" Artemis said excitedly "It's just the opportunity you're looking for!"

"You think so, Artemis?" Mina said, hesitating somewhat "I've never heard of this Alexei Orumov. It could be some kind of scam"

Just then a picture of the talent agent surfaced on the television, making Mina gasp.

"Oh my, what a hunkmeister!" she giggled, admiring his deep blue eyes "Maybe I will go, after all!"

"The great Mina Aino, swayed by a good looking guy" Artemis said, sighing "Will wonders ever cease?"

"I just have to pick a flawless outfit and show him what I've got" Mina said excitedly, hearts in her eyes as she envision enrapturing the talent agent "It's in the purse!"

"Ohhh" Artemis moaned resignedly at the latest by the queen of misquotes "Mina, you mean it's in the bag"

"That's what I said!" Mina retorted, glowering at the cat momentarily as they resumed their path to the University "I'll win that audition, no problem!"

… "Mina" Serena squealed, running up to the blonde "I'm going to be a famous star!"

"You're going to the audition too?" Mina inquired, stuffing her Drama books in her bag "Serena, how are you going to win?"

"I'll dazzle that hunkmeister with a few bars of this!" Serena said excitedly before singing a very beleaguered version of 'Genie In a Bottle' by Christina Aguilera. Several students passing by gave her a look and covered their ears whilst walking away.

"Oh my god, Serena!" Rei said, approaching the girls from behind with Amy and Lita in tow "Whose cat are you strangling?"

"Shut up, Rei" Serena said, glaring at her "You know I have more talent than anyone else here!"

"As if!" Rei growled back, her eyes narrowing into violet slits as she glared at her "Don't forget I can read, write, and play music effortlessly"

"Guys" Amy said quietly before forcing herself between them "I think we should all go to the audition"

"Why?" Mina asked, studying the blue haired genius with interest "What are you thinking?"

"Am I the only one that finds it odd that this generally unknown man suddenly appears out of nowhere?" Amy said, pursing her lips in thought "Correct me if I am wrong, but couldn't this be the Negaverse setting up a trap for the sailor scouts?"

The rest of the scouts stood there, silently mulling over what she had just said.

"Maybe you're right" Lita said slowly, biting her lip in thought "It does seem a little odd"

"Maybe Luna and Artemis should come with us" Mina said, agreeing "Although I find it hard that a hunk like Alexei would be from the Negaverse. He's so dreamy"

"Thanks, Mina" said a familiar voice from behind the group "Always nice to be complimented"

Everyone turned to see Darien standing behind Serena, wrapping his arms around her possessively.

"Arrogant as usual" Lita chirped, laughing "How's it going, Darien?"

"Oh I'm not too bad" the dark haired, blue eyed handsome man said, flashing her a blinding smile "What's this I hear about an audition?"

"A talent agent named Alexei Orumov is holding auditions at Yokoyama Studios today" Mina said, slinging her bag on her shoulder "Have you heard of him?"

"Yeah" Darien said, nodding "He started out as a hockey prodigy and branched out into music and drama. He's very well-respected around the world. So who's auditioning?"

"I am" Mina said, smiling with stars in her eyes "And I think Rei is too"

"And me" Serena said, snuggling closer into Darien "Wanna come with?"

"I don't know, meatball head" he said, calling her affectionately by his pet name for her "Are you singing 'Genie In a Bottle"?"

"Maybe" Serena said, giggling "Come with us!"

"Maybe I should come" Darien said, smirking "Just to save this guy from my girlfriend's butchering of a classic pop song"

"Darien!" Serena huffed indignantly "Don't insult my singing!"

"Easy, odango" he said, kissing her "Why wouldn't I come? I have to support you"

"Anyways" Lita said as Serena and Darien began snogging the life out of each other "What's the plan?"

"We all go together with Luna and Artemis" Rei said, tossing her raven dark hair behind her shoulder with a single shake of her head "That way we'll have any needed bases covered if it really is a trap. I think we also need to have a quick senshi meeting at the temple"

"Agreed" Amy said, hoisting her bag over her shoulder "We will meet there straight after our last class…

… The girls all met at Cherry Hill temple after their classes finished for the day. They only had about an hour and a half to prepare for the upcoming audition.

"I hope this doesn't spell out danger for us" Rei said, kneeling in front of the fire where she did her readings "But here goes…I call upon the fires of Mars…fire guardians, tell me of the audition"

Everyone remained silent as Rei concentrated on her reading, her eyes closed.

Suddenly, the flames danced and rose to the ceiling, giving Rei a message.

"This is odd" Rei said, opening her eyes in a flash "This is very odd"

"What's wrong?" Mina asked, frowning as Rei turned to face the rest of the Sailor Scouts "What is very odd?"

"This is a ploy by the Negaverse" Rei said, frowning in confusion "But apparently it's not an evil ploy. Whatever force behind this is merely looking for someone…and I think that someone is Mina"

"You mean she's going to win the audition?" Serena wailed, her dreams of fame dashed at that very instant "That's no fair, Rei!"

"This is what the reading said" Rei replied simply as she stood up "None of us are in immediate danger"

"I do believe she is right" Luna said, stalking into the room "It reminds me of another kingdom deep in the Negaverse. Contrary to what we all believe, this kingdom was actually good and part of the Commonwealth of the Moon."

"Another kingdom from the Negaverse?" Lita inquired, frowning "How can you just be reminded of it now?"

"That's all I remember" Luna said, sitting on her haunches "I wish I could tell you more"

For a long moment, they all sat in silence.

"Aiyeee" Serena screeched, staring at the clock on her cellular phone "We better leave if we want to make the auditions"

The Sailor Scouts collectively stood up and filed out of the room, heading towards downtown…

… Alexite stood at his desk, wishing to heaven that he could silence some of the girls that auditioned for him. He had already auditioned a hundred girls and maybe two of them actually had talent.

'This is insufferable' he thought to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose as the latest girl was screeching out 'The Power of Love' by Celine Dion. Her voice vaguely reminded him of a rare bird from his home planet, the sa-lyrra.

There was a reason why that bird was rare. They were roundly considered a big nuisance and were hunted for sport.

Malecite and Jadeite looked over at Alexite with fear, giving him the signal that he should end this audition before anyone suffered from permanent ear damage and hysteria.

"Thank you" Alexite managed to say calmly, stopping the butchering "Next please"

The girl gave him a stung look and ran out of the room, in tears. The next candidate came in, dressed like Madonna did in the early 1980s.

'Oh gods' Alexite thought, mortified 'Don't these bloody earthlings have any sense of style?'…

… "I can't believe I'm next" Mina said excitedly to the other senshi "It seems like these auditions are going on at a fast rate."

"I agree" Amy said, looking for some kind of pattern "Usually auditions last much longer. Maybe you have a really good chance of acing it, Mina"

"I see the pattern" Lita said, her arms folded across her chest as the latest girl, clad in 80s Madonna couture ran past them, crying "Either they have no talent or Alexite is very fussy"

"Well" Mina said, putting on some lip gloss "Wish me luck"

"Mina Aino" she heard her name being called from the room.

"Good luck" Rei whispered, evidently losing her competitive streak.

"Yeah good luck" Lita said, winking "Break a leg!"

"Good luck, Mina" Amy said, smiling sweetly at her excited friend.

"Good luck" Serena mumbled as Mina walked into the audition room…

… Alexite was about to abandon the whole audition idea when **she** walked in. He couldn't believe it. There she was, in the flesh…just as lovely as she was when he had last seen her on the moon. His heart soared.

"Good afternoon, Miss Aino" Alexite said, shuffling papers "And what will you be singing for us?"

Mina beamed at him before stopping short and recognizing Malecite.

"Umm I'll be singing 'Waiting for the night' by Depeche Mode" Mina said, frowning at Malecite before breaking into song.

"Please begin" Jadeite said, leaning forward with interest. Malecite followed suit.

"I'm waiting for the night to fall…I know that it will save us all…When everything's dark…keeps us from the stark…reality…I'm waiting for the night to fall…When everything is bearable…And there in the still…all that you feel…is tranquility…I see a star in the sky…guiding me with its eyes…And in the glow of the moon…know my deliverance will come soon"

'It's her!' Alexite thought excitedly, a brilliant smile crossing his features 'My beloved is alive in the future!'

"That was wonderful" Alexite said, standing up "I believe you are what I'm looking for, Miss. Aino…congratulations!"

"Really?" Mina said, her aquamarine eyes wide in disbelief "I got the part?"

"You and I will be working together from now on" Alexite said, smiling at her "Consider yourself the next big idol"…


	4. The Reunion of Nephlite and Molly

_**I know everyone is dying to see what will happen between Nephlite and Molly after his return to Earth, so here it is! But will he win her heart again?**_

_**DISCLAIMER:**__** Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko Takeuchi. I own nothing.**_

… Molly Baker stood in the same mall where she had once approached Maxfield Stanton…Nephlite…

Although she had long-since gotten over him, she knew she would never forget this enigmatic man for as long as she lived.

Sighing, she pulled away from the store window and sat on a nearby bench. She was still deeply stung by the loss of her one true love, but she had to admit that she was happy having Melvin around. Sure, he wasn't tall, dark, handsome and sophisticated as Nephlite had been, but he worked his hardest to make sure she was happy.

But this wasn't one of those happy moments…she was waiting for him to finish his game of WarHammer at the local Games Workshop. She absolutely despised going into a store populated with nerds of all ages and sizes and couldn't understand the appeal of the strategy game. It was all nonsense to her.

She was still lost in her thoughts, barely aware of someone approaching her from her right side.

"Excuse me, miss" said a deep voice "But, may I sit here?"

Molly snapped out of her trance at the familiarity of the voice and looked up sharply. Much to her utter shock, the man she had lost in what seemed like a lifetime ago was standing next to her, unscathed as the day she had first laid eyes on him.

"Hello Molly" he said, smiling down at her the way he did when he had died "I've missed you"

'It can't be' she thought, gaping at him, her blue eyes wide 'I must be hallucinating…oh darn why didn't I listen to Mama and go see a psychiatrist?'

"Is that really you Nephlite?" she asked, staring at him in disbelief "Or is this just my imagination?"

In response to her disbelief he took her hand and pulled her to her feet. He then kissed her deeply, cradling her face with his fingertips.

Molly couldn't help but respond feverishly to his deep kiss…it was a fairy tale come true. Her Prince Charming was back somehow…

… Nephlite released Molly, admiring how she had matured into the promise of beauty he had seen when she was younger. He was glad to have her in his arms and was thankful to the heavens and stars that she hadn't forgotten him.

"How is this possible?" Molly demanded, tears of happiness forming in her eyes "I thought I lost you forever"

"It was what you call a miracle" Nephlite said, stroking her red hair lovingly "I was released from a weird coma that the evil queen Beryl put me through. I am so happy that you haven't forgotten me"

"I would never have forgotten you" Molly said, jumping into his arms again "I am so happy you're alive"

They embraced for a moment until they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Molly backed away from Nephlite, looking sheepishly at the nerdy looking man with the horn rimmed glasses and greasy messed up brown hair.

"Molly, what are you doing?" he asked, his voice rising several octaves as he glared at Nephlite "Who is this loser?"

It took a split second for Nephlite to realize that he was obviously Molly's boyfriend. Stung, the smile was erased from his handsome face.

"I'm…sorry" Nephlite said, somewhat pained as the nerdy man took Molly's hand possessively "I didn't know"

"Nephlite…I meant to tell you about Melvin and I" Molly said, looking just as pained "But I was so happy to see you"

"Let's get out of here, Molly" Melvin said impatiently, tugging on her arm "I don't want this Nephlite guy to steal my girl away from me"

Dejected, Nephlite stuffed his hands in his pockets and gave Molly a mournful look before gliding away. He had never felt like this before in his life…he had never been this disappointed.

"What is this strange feeling?" he asked himself, fighting back tears "Could this be love?"…

… "I can't believe you, Molly" Melvin said, dragging her to the escalator "Who was that man?"

"Someone near and dear to me that I thought I lost when we were still in Junior High" Molly snapped, pulling her hand out of his "I had every right to hug him. Don't be so flippen possessive"

"I'll be whatever I want to be" Melvin exclaimed furiously, glaring at her "You're my property…my girl…I'm not letting what we have go to waste because some guy comes back into your life. As far as I'm concerned, it's in the past, and I'm your future"

Molly rolled her eyes as they got on the escalator. She had never realized what kind of a control freak Melvin had turned into…

… Nephlite stood there, leaning lazily against the guardrail as he watched Molly and Melvin. He felt a new kind of rage as he saw the nerd berate Molly…his Molly…he had a strong desire to drain every bit of Melvin's energy just to get Molly away from him.

"Lords" Nephlite murmured to himself as he saw them go down the escalator "Molly is so beautiful now…Melvin doesn't deserve her"

The last time he had seen Molly, she was an awkward fourteen year old girl who was hopelessly attracted to him. Now, her hair was much longer and the mild smattering of acne she had before had cleared up to reveal her milky white skin, a feature in her that Nephlite adored.

'All is not lost' Nephlite thought, his eyes narrowing as they disappeared from sight 'I will have Molly, even if I have to kill a thousand Earth men to do it. And nobody, not even Melvin, will get in my way"…

… Serena stood in her bedroom at home, staring out at the moon when her phone rang. Nearly tripping over a dozing Luna on the floor, she answered it breathlessly.

"Hello?" she said, sitting on her bed as she answered.

"Hi Serena" Molly's voice replied, sniffing "It's me"

"What's up, Molly?" Serena asked, her voice filled with concern "You sound sad"

"He's back, Serena" Molly said, sniffing again "He's alive"

Serena's blood ran cold at the mention of the man that her best friend next to the Sailor Scouts had loved unconditionally.

"He's alive?" Serena asked, her voice dangerously quiet "You saw him?"

"Yes" Molly replied, blowing her nose "At the mall…I was waiting for Melvin to finish his WarHammer session and he came to me. I didn't believe it at first but then he hugged and kissed me. Oh Serena…he's alive"

'Nephlite' Serena thought, anger filling her entire being 'That nega-creep is back…I have to protect Molly'

"Serena, are you there?" Molly asked, sniffing again.

"I'm here" Serena said, nudging Luna awake "Be careful, Molly. He might be out there to hurt you"

"I don't think so" Molly replied, sounding wistful "He was sad when Melvin caught us hugging…he said he missed me"

"I know, Molly" Serena said, as Luna slowly padded towards her, grumbling about inconsiderate girls waking kitties at indecent times "But I think he's a wolf in sheep's clothing. Be wary of him and don't trust him completely"

"Thanks for listening" Molly said, sounding grateful "I'll talk to you tomorrow"

"Yes, talk to you tomorrow" Serena said before hanging up "Luna, we have a problem"

"If it has anything to do with the Negaverse, I'm all ears" The black cat replied, as she sat on her haunches in front of her mistress "Is there something wrong?"

"Molly just told me she saw Nephlite" Serena said, frowning "How can he be back? I thought he was turned into dust?"

"I don't know" Luna replied coolly "But I think the Negaverse is up to its old tricks again."

"Don't tell me we have another enemy on top of the one we're fighting now" Serena groaned, flopping back on her bed "I enjoy having a life"

"Serena Irene Tsukino" Luna exclaimed, jumping on top of Serena's chest "You are destined to be the Princess of the Moon! You cannot dismiss any threats to your existence. It is your duty as Sailor Moon to protect the Universe and to defeat all from the Negaverse"

"You're right, Luna" Serena sighed, flinging her arm over her eyes "How am I supposed to deal with the recurrence of Nephlite? Molly needs to be protected from him or else she'll get hurt again"

"We will find a way" Luna said, licking her paws clean "Until then, be on guard and don't underestimate the enemy"…

_**Wow, Melvin and Molly together still! Who would expect that? Nephlite certainly didn't. But fear not, Nephlite and Molly will be together again, Melvin or no Melvin! Nephlite has a plan!**_


	5. Questions and Revelations

**_DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko Takeuchi. I own nothing._**

Molly sat on her bed, clutching a silken pillow to her chest. Tears threatened to fall but she kept them at bay. She was still in a state of disbelief.

"It can't be" she whispered to herself, mulling over what had happened this afternoon "It couldn't have been Nephlite"

She then remembered how Melvin pulled her away, a fierce grip on her left wrist. Rubbing her wrist absently, she sighed in relief knowing that she was making a smart move by remaining with her mother at the apartment instead of moving in with Melvin.

"Oh Nephlite" Molly sighed, burying her face into the pillow "Have you really come back?"

"You called" Nephlite's voice filled the room. Molly jerked her head up with a small start. Much to her chagrin, Nephlite stood there in front of her bed.

"Oh" Molly said, startled "I forgot you could do that. You startled me"

"I'm sorry, Molly" Nephlite said, moving to sit next to her on the bed "I didn't mean to be away for so long. There's so much I need to tell you. Please don't be frightened of me"

"Now's a good time to start" Molly said, narrowing her eyes "How come you've stayed away so long? I thought I lost you after those creepy aliens hurt you"

"I will tell you everything" he said, putting an arm around her "Just listen"

With that, he filled her in on the details of his 'death' and confinement at the hands of Queen Beryl…

… "Are you sure?" Amy asked Serena, looking up proof in her mini Mercury computer "Molly specifically said Nephlite was back?"

After Molly's phone call, Serena summoned the rest of the scouts to her house for an emergency senshi meeting.

"Positive" Serena said, nodding "It made my blood run cold when she mentioned him."

"Could it be possible?" Rei said, sitting cross legged on Serena's bed "I thought Nephlite died at the hands of Zoicite"

"I did too" Serena said, absently twirling her hair "But Molly claims to have hugged him and kissed him. She's not prone to lying"

"How can he be alive after he got stabbed the way he did?" Lita asked, leaning lazily against the balcony window "Maybe it was a strange façade, courtesy of Queen Beryl?"

"This is interesting" Amy said, frowning in thought as she read what she received on her computer "According to my research, it says that Nephlite was in a state of Nega-Coma at the hands of Queen 

Beryl. She had enough of his failures so she had him transported back to the Negaverse where she dealt with him personally"

"What else?" Mina asked eagerly, sitting on the bed next to Rei "Is there any more information?"

"Yes" Amy said before continuing "Apparently Jadeite, Zoicite and Malecite were afflicted with the same thing"

"I could have sworn I saw Malecite at the auditions" Mina said, remembering what she thought she saw "This explains why I saw him there"

"Wait a minute" Lita said, frowning in thought herself "How does this fit in with Alexei then?"

"Maybe he isn't what he seems" Luna offered as she gave herself a thorough cleaning.

"But the reading I did said that he was no harm to Mina" Rei said, confident in her readings "Maybe none of the reincarnated generals are any harm anymore. Isn't it a big possibility that Beryl had put a spell on them? Maybe they were all once good beings"

"This is interesting" Amy said, setting her computer down "It mentions something about Nephlite being from a planet in the Negaverse. Luna, didn't you mention something about a planet existing that wasn't evil?"

"Yes" Luna said, straightening up "I believe the planet was called Orchidia. It was ruled by a prince who was fair and just. He attended many gatherings at the Moon Palace"

"Great" Serena huffed in a frustrated manner "So we have leads, BUT we're back at square one if nobody can remember anything"

"I still want to know how Alexei can be involved in this" Mina said, standing up and stretching "How does he know Malecite?"

"We don't know for now" Artemis spoke up as he jumped on his mistress's shoulder "But for now, just be wary of Alexei and don't make any rash moves. It could just be a coincidence"

The girls all nodded in unison…

… "I can't believe it" Molly mumbled after Nephlite finished his explanation "Strangely, it explains everything"

"I know" Nephlite said, embracing her tightly "I had a lot of time to think while I was in that Nega-coma. I prayed with every breath in my body that I would see you again"

"I...I'm sorry about Melvin" Molly said, tears forming in her eyes "If I knew you were still alive I wouldn't have even gone near him"

"It's alright, Molly" Nephlite said, smiling at her "I'm here now and the only thing that matters in this world is us. Now, when can we go for that chocolate parfait?"

Molly wiped her eyes and giggled.

"How about tomorrow?" she asked slyly, winking at him "That place will be open"

"Anything for you" he said, kissing her on the forehead "Until then."

With that, he disappeared from her room.

Molly slowly reached for the phone as her mother came into the room.

"Molly, dear" her mother said, sitting next to her on the bed "Who were you talking to?"

"An old friend" Molly smiled "We were talking on speaker phone"

"That explains it" Jessica said, hugging her only child "But I came to talk to you about something else honey"

"What's up, mama?" Molly asked, the smile fading somewhat "Is something wrong?"

"I don't think you should see that boy Melvin anymore" Jessica said, her blue eyes full of concern "He seems obsessed"

"I'm glad you think so mama" Molly said, the smile erased from her face "I agree. I was about to break up with him after the way he handled me bumping into Maxfield Stanton at the mall"

"Do what you must, dear" Jessica said, hugging Molly again "I only want the best for you. You deserve a man who won't fly off the handle at seeing an old male friend…a man who doesn't spend every waking minute playing a stupid strategy game at the mall"

"Thanks mama" Molly said, hugging her mother back "I'll call him now"…

… It was the thick of the night and the whole city was asleep. Everyone was snuggled safely inside their beds…all except for two cats who strutted to Crown Fruit Parlor.

"Do you think this will work, Luna?" as the doors opened for them "Will we be able to find out more about this dead planet?"

"I hope so" Luna replied as they padded inside to a weirdly lit Sailor V game "Maybe we'll find something that will help us remember"

With that, she hopped onto the chair, touching her paw to the screen.

"This is Luna reporting" she said to the brightly lit screen "I like field mouse pie and big bowls of cream"

"Welcome Luna" a mechanized voice greeted her "There is some new information on Lord Dragoon. He will be sending his most powerful general to earth. This general is vaguely reminiscent of Ann and Alan and can summon more powerful Cardians"

"I will alert the scouts at once" she said, nodding "I need you to give me information on an unrelated matter"

"State your request" the mechanize voice said, waiting for her response.

"Queen Beryl's former generals may have surfaced back on Earth" Luna said, glancing at Artemis, who had joined her on the seat "Tell me everything you know about the Lost planet of Orchidia"

"Orchidia was once a part of the Negaverse and part of the Commonwealth of the Moon Kingdom" the voice replied "It was ruled by a great prince until Queen Beryl's forces took over. The prince betrayed Beryl and was cast into her Nega Coma while she turned Orchidia into a dead planet before focusing her attack on the Moon Kingdom"

"Is there anything else?" Luna demanded, her curiosity gnawing at her gut and subconscious "Anything at all?"

Without warning, the system started shaking and producing large sparks. Luna and Artemis jumped back as the screen tube melted and snapped into two.

"Let's get out of here" Artemis said as they scampered back from the crashed machine…


End file.
